Maryland residents can seek damages over the improper use of personal records by an elected official, a state appeals court ruled Friday.

The Maryland Court of Special Appeals issued the ruling in a court case involving former Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold, who resigned in 2013 within days of being found guilty of misconduct in office. The charges related to Leopold using members of his security detail to perform political activities while they were on the job.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland alleged Leopold abused his position to collect personal information about perceived political opponents from the county police department without legitimate law enforcement purposes.